


The Fires of a New Dawn

by Flameo_Hotman



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: 13 year old fire lord zuko au, Agni Kai (Avatar), Fire Lord Zuko, Zuko fought and won the Agni Kai
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:48:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21829225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flameo_Hotman/pseuds/Flameo_Hotman
Summary: The sun sets on Fire Lord Ozai's rule when Zuko defeated him in their Agni Kai. At only thirteen years of age, Zuko is the youngest Fire Lord in recorded history. He hadn't thought that any of this would happen when he spoke out in that war counsel. He does know that he doesn't want any more of his people dying in the war that killed his cousin, so he ends it. Sure he has to deal with peace treaties and petty political squabbles and then a blasted civil war and assassination attempts, but it was all worth it. He had a duty to his people, and he stepped up and did the right thing.
Comments: 47
Kudos: 575





	The Fires of a New Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is inspired by a series of exchanges I had with duels-of-inferno on tumblr. It spiraled and now I'm writing the fic. This chapter is just the prologue. Betaed by h_faith_marr Thank you so much!!!!

When the Fire Nation prince turned around to face his opponent, he froze.

Standing before him was his father.

His father who was a master fire bender and apparently approved of the plan to sacrifice an entire division instead of finding a better way to defeat the enemy.

Zuko threw a ball of fire at the man —he wasn't going to kneel down and beg his father’s forgiveness for trying to defend the lives of their soldiers. To do so would be disrespectful to those men and women. If he won then the Fire Lord would have to spare the lives of the division because this Agni Kai was being fought over Zuko defending those men. Honor would demand it.

Some part of Zuko knew that it was unlikely that he could win. That he would be killed if he could get anywhere close to winning. But Zuko couldn't afford to lose. Not if he wanted to save those people.

The idea that General Bujing and the rest of the war council thought they could needlessly sacrifice the lives of his people, and that his father was in support of this, made the young fire bender angrier than he had ever been in his short life.

He would not lose.

Zuko dodged the flames that his opponent sent blazing towards him and sent his own in the form of a burning whip.

Ozai may be bigger and stronger but Zuko was smaller and faster, making him harder to hit, but not impossible if the burns that littered his arms and torso were anything to go by.

The fight seemed to go on forever and happen all at once. Attacking and reacting.

Finally, Ozai got close enough to grab his son by the hair and he threw him to the ground. Zuko yelped as a particularly painful burn on his back slammed into the ground, but Ozai was holding him down, one hand wrapped around his throat and the other held up engulfed in flames.

"You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher!" Ozai snarled at him as he brought that flaming hand to Zuko's face.

A scream of pain ripped itself from Zuko's throat as the fire burned him. Then Zuko let that scream turn to flames and Ozai was screaming instead, and Zuko was stumbling to his feet as he felt the darkness of unconsciousness trying to grip him. He stood over his father as the man's hand hovered over the burns from Zuko's breath of fire. Shielding the burns stretching across the bottom of his face and his throat.

Zuko resumed his stance and aimed his own flaming fist at the man, but he held his position and didn't strike. He didn't want to fight anymore, but he would if he had to. Luckily for him, the fight was over, and someone announced that he had won.

As soon as the words were out, the ground raced up to meet the boy.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to check out the conversation I was talking about you can find it here.  
> https://devilangel657.tumblr.com/post/189677050077/flameo-hotman-duels-of-infrno  
> And you can find my tumblr where I post about my fics and atla memes here.  
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/flameo-hotman


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